During surgical procedures, one or more devices may be used to support a patient's head. For example, there may be a need to provide a static support for a patient's head; and typically, a static head support includes one or more pads that provide a static subjacent support of the patient's head in a prone or supine position. Such a static head support is mounted on a crossbar that extends transversely off the end of a patient support such as an operating table. Alternatively, a stabilization device, such as a skull clamp, is also used to support and stabilize a patient's head, and such a skull clamp is also mounted on the crossbar. In some applications, both static head support and skull clamp stabilization are desired, and then both devices must be mounted on the crossbar. In those situations where both subjacent support and lateral stabilization are required, having to mount both devices from the same crossbar member is complicated, inflexible and inconvenient. Therefore, there is a need to provide a support structure for a head support and a stabilization device that is more convenient and flexible to use.
In the process of supporting or stabilizing the patient's head, surgical draping is applied in a known manner to the patient and portions of the structure supporting the head support or stabilization device. Depending on the surgery being performed, it may be required to lower the head support out of contact with the patient's head and subsequently, raise the head support back into contact with the patient's head. Known head supports often use a pawl pin or locking screw to control elevation, and such pawl pin or locking screw are centrally located and difficult to reach beneath the surgical draping. Further, any adjustments in elevation require two hands, one to operate the pawl or screw and one to lift or lower the head support. As can be appreciated, the presence of the draping makes such adjustments more difficult, time consuming and a distraction from the surgical procedure. Therefore, there is a need for a head support that can be easily adjusted and locked in a desired elevation with a minimum of disturbance to the surgical draping and a minimum of distraction from the surgical procedure being performed.
Therefore, there is a need to provide structure for more flexibly mounting head support and stabilization devices.